Game Title: XX: The Raised Torch GMs: Mike Antos, Dave Miner, Andrew Gaughen, Dale Brodt In-Game Location: The mountains of Northwestern Halgudar OOG Location: Campo Alto, near Pine Mountain Club, CA
Synopsis: Irroquin relies on the foodstuffs of Lindora being shipped through Halgudar to Lake Cymfal, then down the River, and in through the port of Kessid. This trade had all but ceased by May 509, and Prince Terrin tasked Reginald Farnsworth III to draw on the Royal Treasury to assemble and lead a team of adventurers to Lake Cymfal to determine the problem, and solve it if possible. The team set-forth overland to Kura'Stan, where others would join the group, and then begin the long trail to the east into war-torn Halgudar.
Just over the border, following an ancient elven trail, the party came upon an empty military encampment, recently abandoned by the last remaining unit of Halgudari soldiers in the whole country. This group, led by Vy, bearer of the Sword of Cymfal, had remained behind as the rest of the population of this war-torn land was sealifted by Dominian ships to a new home in Shorn. Armed with powerful dragon magik, Vy and her team were to forever seal the Halgudari dead from being used as undead creatures.
Having lost her unit, Vy relies on the group of adventurers to defeat the undead minions of Rynith and perform the ceremony. The spirit of Cymfal agrees to sacrifice himself for the magiks, taking the magik of his blade into the nevermore. Marclyx, a dragon, reveals himself as the shepherd of these lands, and enchants the steel that once was Cymfal's blade, rechristening it the Sword of Vy, a new leader for a new land. Many of the party agree to escort her safely to her people. Others decide to head back west in search of the civilized lands, to tell tales and collect pay.
Cast (29):
Mike Antos - Zachary D'Nath, Spector, Dirk of the Rynith Guard, Human Ank Soldier, Marclyx, (GM)
Alex Ajad - Elaz
Andy Banks- Zame
Andrew Bice - various undead, Rynith soldier (NPC)
Twin Brewer- Shael
Dale Brodt - various undead, Rynith soldier, Ank soldier, Shade, Prince Caspian (GM)
Heather Brodt - (NPC)
Mike Budzik - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith soldier, dead Halgudari soldier, Lich, Aide to Ghost of Cymfal (NPC)
Ernie Burnett - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith soldier, Death Lord, Aide to Ghost of Cymfal (NPC)
Constance Chamberlain - Antillia Geoffrey
Dave (Robin) Chamberlain - Sir Reginald Farnsworth III
Michael Corr - Faydin Laurlas
Ingrid deBeus - Kala
Andrew Gaughen - Rynith Elite Thomas Surian (Mummy) (GM)
Jen Groniger - The Anchoress
Aaron Lyle - various undead, Ank soldiers, Ank scouting party Boss, Sequestrum Mage (NPC)
Dave Miner - various undead, Rynith Guard mage, Amorous She-Orc, Rynith Guard thief, the ghost of General Robert Cymfal (GM)
Devin Parker - Quill
Coffee Polk - As NPC: Rynith Elite Guard, As PC: Vy
Izabella Randall - Scarlettina Geoffrey
Mowi Reaves - Roare of Vesve
Andrew Rowe - Tae'lein Salaris
Jason Ryan - Ank Orc, Ank Human, Rynith Commander, various undead, Death Knight (NPC)
Joel Schonbrunn - Vartran Gregorian, Disciple of the Dragons of the Covenant
DW Scraggs - Svar Vorchanchin
Joanna Slusser - Pride
Michael Slusser - Keystone, The Hermit, The Wolfshead, The Villein
Trevor Story - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith Soldiers (NPC)
Kevin Thomas - Hadrian
Pre-Game:
Posted on Hall of Travelers Boards across Kessid Irroquin & Kura'stan, Quivera: An expedition is being mounted to travel to the borders of Halgudar and beyond to find out the disturbance of our supply lines. We seek the following for our quest: Merchants looking to re-establish trade routes
Fighters/Adventurers skilled in defense and protection
Mages capable of divining the mysteries we may encounter
and if the rumors have merit, Healers and Followers of the Light to fend off the shambling nightmares Coin will be paid based upon skill and contribution to the expedition.
Applicants should report Sir Reginald Farnsworth III at the Farnsworth Estate in the High Quarter of Kessid, Irroquin, or Mage Drayan Farnsworth at the Hall of Travelers at the docks in eastern Kura'stan
The pre-game adventure:
August 16 - Irroquin - nothing of interest, you are just getting started / getting to know one another
August 18 - DeMekrium - the road goes through the shortest distance of this country on purpose, they are dour and don't like strangers, especially armed adventuring parties. You skirted the Goblin Woods, and had to battle past a few groups of Goblins & Orcs that were looking for loot.
August 20 - Gallura - very civilized, you probably spent too much coin on food and drink.
August 24 - Quivera (part 1) - also very civilized, and very diverse. Any elves in the group were viewed with confusion or disappointment, the Quiverans know the plight of Doro Y'Edhel to the west (check here for details)
August 28 - Kura'stan - a city larger than Kessid, and very cosmopolitian. The city is busy, and worried about the wars to the east, the elves to the west, and the monsters to the north. Anyone who you tell which way you're headed thinks you're crazy. It is here that Reginald Farnsworth's brother hired six more hands, and they join the team. You stay four days in the city, provisioning and gathering intel.
Sept 2 - Quivera (part 2) - You follow the river road, with the new members settling in to the team. There is alot of traffic heading north and south. When you turn off to the east on the tributary river, not many other people are headed that way. Along this stretch you mostly encounter Quiveran soldiers from one Duchy or the other.
Sept 10 - You leave the road and head east-southeast to enter the mountains. This is a trail that has been used for centuries, but is still narrow and difficult. This trail allows passage through to Lindora and Halgudar without being too close to the populated lands of Dakkor, or in the twisted old forests of northern Hyrm-Chel. Elves with the group discover that this trail is emblazoned using fae magik, likely by elves long ago seeking to avoid Dakkor. This discovery eases your passage through to the game site.
Your destination is the northern shore of Lake Cymfal, it is there that a trading road from Lindora reaches the water, allowing shallow-draft ships to carry foodstuffs down to the ocean, where they eventually get shipped to Kessid and other points east and west. It is there you are hoping to discover why those shipments have ceased, and if you can fix it.
The borders on the map are not as clear on the ground. You saw no signs of borders or guards leaving Quivera, entering Dakkor or Halgudar.
Sept 18 - You are in the mountains of western Halgudar, the Friday of the game
GMs: Mike Antos, Dave Miner, Andrew Gaughen, Dale Brodt
In-Game Location: The mountains of Northwestern Halgudar
OOG Location: Campo Alto, near Pine Mountain Club, CA
Game Photos: http://xaria.org/xaria/pictures/2009/RaisedTorch/
Synopsis:
Just over the border, following an ancient elven trail, the party came upon an empty military encampment, recently abandoned by the last remaining unit of Halgudari soldiers in the whole country. This group, led by Vy, bearer of the Sword of Cymfal, had remained behind as the rest of the population of this war-torn land was sealifted by Dominian ships to a new home in Shorn. Armed with powerful dragon magik, Vy and her team were to forever seal the Halgudari dead from being used as undead creatures.
Having lost her unit, Vy relies on the group of adventurers to defeat the undead minions of Rynith and perform the ceremony. The spirit of Cymfal agrees to sacrifice himself for the magiks, taking the magik of his blade into the nevermore. Marclyx, a dragon, reveals himself as the shepherd of these lands, and enchants the steel that once was Cymfal's blade, rechristening it the Sword of Vy, a new leader for a new land. Many of the party agree to escort her safely to her people. Others decide to head back west in search of the civilized lands, to tell tales and collect pay.
Cast (29):
Mike Antos - Zachary D'Nath, Spector, Dirk of the Rynith Guard, Human Ank Soldier, Marclyx, (GM)
Alex Ajad - Elaz
Andy Banks- Zame
Andrew Bice - various undead, Rynith soldier (NPC)
Twin Brewer- Shael
Dale Brodt - various undead, Rynith soldier, Ank soldier, Shade, Prince Caspian (GM)
Heather Brodt - (NPC)
Mike Budzik - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith soldier, dead Halgudari soldier, Lich, Aide to Ghost of Cymfal (NPC)
Ernie Burnett - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith soldier, Death Lord, Aide to Ghost of Cymfal (NPC)
Constance Chamberlain - Antillia Geoffrey
Dave (Robin) Chamberlain - Sir Reginald Farnsworth III
Michael Corr - Faydin Laurlas
Ingrid deBeus - Kala
Andrew Gaughen - Rynith Elite Thomas Surian (Mummy) (GM)
Jen Groniger - The Anchoress
Aaron Lyle - various undead, Ank soldiers, Ank scouting party Boss, Sequestrum Mage (NPC)
Dave Miner - various undead, Rynith Guard mage, Amorous She-Orc, Rynith Guard thief, the ghost of General Robert Cymfal (GM)
Devin Parker - Quill
Coffee Polk - As NPC: Rynith Elite Guard, As PC: Vy
Izabella Randall - Scarlettina Geoffrey
Mowi Reaves - Roare of Vesve
Andrew Rowe - Tae'lein Salaris
Jason Ryan - Ank Orc, Ank Human, Rynith Commander, various undead, Death Knight (NPC)
Joel Schonbrunn - Vartran Gregorian, Disciple of the Dragons of the Covenant
DW Scraggs - Svar Vorchanchin
Joanna Slusser - Pride
Michael Slusser - Keystone, The Hermit, The Wolfshead, The Villein
Trevor Story - various undead, Ank soldiers, Rynith Soldiers (NPC)
Kevin Thomas - Hadrian
Pre-Game:
Posted on Hall of Travelers Boards across Kessid Irroquin & Kura'stan, Quivera:
An expedition is being mounted to travel to the borders of Halgudar and beyond to find out the disturbance of our supply lines. We seek the following for our quest:
Merchants looking to re-establish trade routes
Fighters/Adventurers skilled in defense and protection
Mages capable of divining the mysteries we may encounter
and if the rumors have merit, Healers and Followers of the Light to fend off the shambling nightmares
Coin will be paid based upon skill and contribution to the expedition.
Applicants should report Sir Reginald Farnsworth III at the Farnsworth Estate in the High Quarter of Kessid, Irroquin, or Mage Drayan Farnsworth at the Hall of Travelers at the docks in eastern Kura'stan
The pre-game adventure: